For all the casualness and conviviality surrounding beer drinking of beer, its production is actually pretty complicated. Beer is made by brewing, or fermenting, certain grains, herbs, and yeast -the same basic ingredients that go into a loaf of bread. In fact, beer is often referred to as “liquid bread.” Its primary ingredients are barley malt, yeast and hops. 

The brewing process generally goes something like this:

The making of beer

1. The malt is ground in a mill, which turns it into “grist.” 

2. The grist is mixed with hot water until it becomes as thick as a porridge.
3. This liquid is then clarified, and the result is called “wort.”
4. The wort goes into a brew kettle, together with hops, and the mixture is boiled. This boiling is called the brewing process.
5. The hops are then removed and the wort is spun like a whirlpool to rid it of unwanted proteins.
6. The mixture is cooled and then yeast is added to it so that it ferments.
7. After the primary fermentation process, the wort is often transferred to special tanks for aging.
8. Most beers are then filtered and ready for bottling. 



Types of beer
Beer is generally separated into two categories, according to the yeast used during fermentation. Bottom-fermenting beers are those that are produced with yeast which, after fermentation, settles down on the bottom of the fermentation tank. Those that are produced with yeast that will rise to the surface after fermentation are known as top-fermenting beers. As a general rule, top-fermenting beers are those that are brewed at higher temperatures, temperatures so high that they will force the yeast to rise.

Bottom-fermenting beers are known more colloquially as lager beers and comprise about 90% of worldwide beer production. One of the best-known among them is the pilsner type beer, blonder and with a more intense taste of hops (with Czech origin). The strong lager, usually with a higher concentration of alcohol, is another crowd pleaser, as are the Munich and Dortmunder. The bock is also a bottom-fermenting beer, with malt and bitterness being its dominant tastes. In the older days there were only dark bocks, whereas now there are pale bocks as well.



The main representative of top-fermented beers is ale, a beer variety characterized by its fruity aroma. This aroma results from the fast fermentation process brought on by high brewing temperatures. England, Ireland and Belgium produce a plethora of different ale varieties.

Within the family of top-fermenting beers, there are the subcategories of wheat beers, porter beers, and stout beers. Wheat beer is sometimes referred to as weiss and is mainly produced in Germany and Belgium. With its main ingredient being wheat, such beer is characterized by its pale color. Wheat beers differ depending on their alcohol content, bitterness, and, most importantly, filtration. While some are filtered, others are not, thus creating a more hazy color.

Meanwhile, porter beer is characterized by its very dark color and intense malt aroma. England, particularly London, is renowned for its production of porter beer. Irish stout beer is  a derivative of porter beer and is generally dark-colored, nearly black. Produced with caramelized malt, stouts are distinguished by their dry flavors and classified divided into subcategories according to their alcohol content and bitterness.